Accalathura wardae, Kensley & Schotte, 2000

Kensley, B. & Schotte, M., 2000, New species and records of anthuridean isopod crustaceans from the Indian Ocean, Journal of Natural History 34, pp. 2057-2121 : 2105-2106

Accalathura wardae sp. nov.

(Figure 32)

Type material. HOLOTYPE: USNM 253144 , ovigerous m 9.3 mm, sta F8-87, intertidal rubble, Passe Hoareau, Malabar Is., Aldabra, coll. K. Fauchald, 11 April 1987 . PARATYPES: USNM 253145 , two l 9.9 mm, four non-ovigerous m 8.0± 9.5 mm, three juveniles, sta F8-87, same data as holotype .

Other material examined. USNM 253146 , one non-ovigerous m 9.1 mm, three juveniles, sta K-AL-101, coral rubble from edge of channel, Passe Hoareau, Aldabra, FIG. 32. Accalathura wardae sp. nov.: (A) pleotelson; (B) uropodal protopod and endopod; (C) uropodal exopod; (D) pereopod 2; (E) pereopod 4; (F) pereopod 1 propodal lobe enlarged; (G) pleopod 1; (H) pereopod 1; (I) lpleopod 2, with apex of copulatory stylet enlarged .

0.5±1 m, 18 March 1986. USNM 253290 , one, l sta F-495, intertidal coral rubble, Malabar Is., Aldabra, 8 May 1992.

Diagnosis. Female: Scattered irregular red±brown pigment present on cephalon, pereon and pleon; telson with four longitudinal bands. Telson widest at about midlength; lateral margins tapering posteriorly to obtuse-angled setose apex. Pereopod 1, propodus with palmar lobe separated from palm by obtuse angle. Pereopod 2, propodus about 2.5 times longer than wide, palm of propodus with eight setae. Pereopod 4, carpus with four setae on posterior margin; propodus with six setae, about three times longer than wide. Uropodal exopod, lateral margin sinuous, 2.5 times longer than wide; endopod triangular, one-third longer than greatest width; peduncle with mesiodistal angle triangular.

Male: Antennular ¯agellum of 20 articles, clusters of aesthetascs on articles 2± 7. Pereopod 1 as in female, but with much denser band of subpalmar setae on mesial surface of propodus. Pleopod 2, copulatory stylet articulating at midlength of mesial margin of endopod; stylet apically reaching to apex of endopod, apically acute, with subapical curled strap-like structure.

Remarks. The uropodal structure of A. vulpia Poore and Lew Ton, 1990 , from Queensland, Australia, closely resembles that of the present material; the propodal palm of pereopod 1, however, is less setose. Of the four described species of Accalathura from the Indian Ocean, three possess elongate slender uropodal exopods; A. borradalei has a broadened uropodal exopod, but the telson is posteriorly broadly rounded. The distinctive copulatory stylet of the male further separates the present species.

Etymology. The species is named for Linda Ward of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, who collected the type material while a participant in the Aldabra research program.